Red Bull F1 boss responds to Christian Horner criticism after he claimed team had lost its 'vibe'

Red Bull F1 boss Laurent Mekies has dismissed Christian Horner's claim that the team has lost its 'mojo' and 'vibe' since he left.

Horner was in charge of the Milton Keynes-based outfit for two decades before being relieved of his duties midway through the 2025 campaign, with Mekies having been drafted in as his replacement.

Of course, Horner has now released his memoir, Drive, which tells all on his time leading Red Bull to eight drivers' and six constructors' world championships.

To promote the book, Horner did the rounds in the media before its release, including an interview The Times in which he claimed that Red Bull had lost its mojo and vibe since his departure.

"I think if you look at that team 12 months down the line, it’s lost its mojo, its presence, its vibe," Horner said ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September.

F1 HEADLINES: Hamilton's Ferrari nightmare as F1 legend departs

Laurent Mekies on Christian Horner 'vibe' claim

Horner's comments came at a time when Red Bull were fourth in the championship and having had a difficult season. But, the first race after his words were made public, Verstappen and Hadjar secured a double podium in Baku, which Verstappen then followed up with victories in Malaysia and Singapore.

Mekies, appearing in an FIA press conference for the first time since Horner's comments, was quizzed on his predecessor's words ahead of this weekend's Mexican Grand Prix.

Mekies defended Horner's right to comment on the team, but made it very clear that he disagrees.

“Look, first, Christian is entitled to his opinion. He obviously spent a lot of time in this team, and you know I respect his point of view," Mekies said.

“We certainly feel extremely differently about the vibe in the team. I think one of the strong points we have been enjoying, certainly in the last few months, is the incredible team spirit that has allowed us to come back from an objectively very difficult moment.

“You know, it's always one thing to have a positive spirit when you are winning races. It's something else to have that same fighting spirit and unity between the team members when you are put under pressure."

Max Verstappen has won two races since Horner's comments" src="https://sportsbase.io/images/gpfans/copy_620x348/01890f08ca73592e525741ad112ce6f6ea08f1d2.jpg">

Mekies admits that it was a difficult start to 2026 for Red Bull, who are competing as a works team for the first time this season. However, the 49-year-old praised his team for keeping their spirits high and getting things back on track.

“We certainly had a challenging first part of the year, chassis side and PU side," Mekies added. "And the way the team stuck together, the way the team set the Milton Keynes department on fire to try to come back, and the way they have done that, it's such a constructively challenging matter, from any of our team members to the brutally honest comments of our drivers. I think that's the Red Bull spirit, and that's certainly how we feel we need to go racing.

“And the guys got the reward they deserved with the turnaround that they have produced, which is, I think, very remarkable. But ultimately, we are well aware that we live and die with our results, and the target is not to win one race or two races.

“The target is to be back to two world titles, and until we are there, nobody will feel we have achieved anything.”

READ MORE: F1 manufacturer with 175 wins pushing to return to the sport

READ MORE: Sebastian Vettel reveals 'secret meeting' with F1 team boss